Stefano Giovannoni

Product designer

Bubble, entirely designed and made in Italy, will be exhibited in Beijing. Elica’s functionality and technology joined with the easily recognizable design of Stefano Giovannoni. Avant-garde shapes and materials are the protagonists of this exhibit, named International Creative Junctions/Design Ping Pong, the main section of the first Beijing International Design Triennial that brings the major players of the international design scene to China.

Stefano Giovannoni tells Elica his point of view on this new Chinese experience.

Elica: The Beijing International Design Triennial exhibits an installation with Bubble: can you tell us what inspired you to design this product?Stefano Giovannoni: I tried to design an iconic focal element for the kitchen, a pure and immediate object that communicates the technical qualities of the product.

Elica:We clearly recognize your hand in Bubble: round and soft forms, plastic materials, simplicity of use… What is design for you?Stefano Giovannoni: I’m not very interested in the formal or linguistic approach to design so much as in an iconic mark, like an element of communication suspended between imagination and memory.

Elica: What can the Beijing International Design Triennial mean for Italian companies participating in the event?Stefano Giovannoni: I believe that in the near future, the Chinese market will be a determining element for the growth of companies that work with products at an international level. Beijing Design Week is the first official attempt to bring the discussion of design to China, one that recognizes its very own privileged interlocutor within design and Italian companies.

Elica: It is known that China is a country that is very “inspired” by Italy in fashion, design and many other sectors, putting products of low cost and dubious quality on the market. Do you think it will be like this in the future as well?Stefano Giovannoni: With this exhibit, China is beginning to recognize design as a determining factor for the development of its companies, within the logic of a rapidly evolving internal market.

Elica: Have you had the chance to collaborate with Chinese companies?Stefano Giovannoni: In the past, we have worked with Japanese and Korean companies for long periods of time. At the moment we are beginning our first collaborations with Chinese companies.

Elica: Could you talk to us a little about design in China? Do you know of a talented designer that will be talked about in the future?Stefano Giovannoni: Not yet, but at the moment I am leaving for China and I hope, after my return, to be able to answer this question.

Elica: Most likely, many Chinese users will not read this post because of Internet restrictions placed by their government… Can design contribute to bringing down the barriers and improving freedom of speech?Stefano Giovannoni: Design, like any cultural element, contributes to bringing down certain barriers that exist within these contexts.